Research in Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a final priority for the Research in

Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program. The Secretary may

use this priority in Fiscal Year 1997 and subsequent years. The

Secretary takes this action to focus Federal assistance on identified

needs to improve results for children with disabilities. This final

priority is intended to ensure wide and effective use of program funds.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect on May 12,1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this

priority contact the U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence

Avenue, S.W., room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-2641.

The preferred method for requesting information is to FAX your request

to: (202) 205-8717. Telephone: (202) 260-9182.

Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)

may call the TDD number: (202) 205-9860. Individuals with disabilities

may obtain a copy of this notice in an alternate format (e.g. Braille,

large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the

Department as listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Research in Education of Individuals

with Disabilities Program, authorized by Part E of the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1441-1443), provides support to

advance and improve the knowledge base and improve the practice of

professionals, parents, and others providing early intervention,

special education, and related services--including professionals in

regular education environments--to provide children with disabilities

effective instruction and enable these children to learn successfully.

On February 21, 1996, the Secretary published a notice of proposed

priority for this program in the Federal Register (61 FR 6754-6755).

This final priority supports the National Education Goals by

improving understanding of how to enable children and youth with

disabilities to reach higher levels of academic achievement.

The publication of this priority does not preclude the Secretary

from proposing additional priorities, nor does it limit the Secretary

to funding only this priority, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking

requirements. Funding of particular projects depends on the

availability of funds, and the quality of the applications received.

Note: This notice of final priority does not solicit

applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition

is published in a separate notice in this issue of the Federal

Register.

Analysis of Comments and Changes

In response to the Secretary's invitation in the notice of proposed

priority, five parties submitted comments. An analysis of the comments

and of the changes in the proposed priority follows. Technical and

other minor changes--as well as suggested changes the Secretary is not

legally authorized to make under the applicable statutory authority--

are not addressed.

Priority--Research Institutes to Accelerate Learning for Children With

Disabilities With Curricular and Instructional Interventions

Comment: Two commenters noted that minority students comprise a

disproportionate number of special education students, and that as

students advance in grades the performance gap between African

Americans and their white counterparts increases. The commenter

recommended that the priority require involvement of minority

researchers either as staff of the project or require collaboration

with minority institutions of higher education to ensure that the

specific educational needs of minority group students with disabilities

will be addressed by the research institute.

Discussion: The priority, as written, requires research across

multiple sites to represent organizational and demographic diversity,

collaboration with experts and researchers in related subject matter

and methodological fields, as appropriate. In addition, the selection

criteria that will be used to evaluate applications include criteria

for determining how the applicant will provide equal access and

treatment for eligible project participants who are members of racial

or ethnic minority groups; and the extent to which the applicant, as

part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, encourages

applications for employment from persons who are members of racial or

ethnic minority groups that have been traditionally underrepresented.

Changes: None.

Comment: One commenter recommended that the priority address the

needs of students with low-incidence disabilities as a main area of

concern. Specifically, the commenter recommended the priority emphasize

students with deafness, blindness, and physical disability, who also

experience secondary and tertiary disabilities such as developmental

disability, behavior disorder, and multiple disabilities.

Discussion: The priority as written does not preclude an applicant

from addressing the needs of students with low-incidence disabilities

as a main area of concern. The Secretary prefers that the language of

the priority be broad enough so that applicants may have the

opportunity to propose and justify their particular project focus.

Changes: None.

Comment: Two commenters recommended that the priority be broadened

to include students with disabilities through the eighth grade to

include more middle school students. One commenter noted that in many

States, students enter middle schools in the 5th or 6th grade, thus the

proposed limit of grade six may prevent school-wide intervention

programs in some areas. Furthermore, the commenters stated that it may

be useful to follow students in the upper middle school grades who have

completed interventions in grades K-6.

Discussion: The Secretary agrees with the commenters that it would

be very useful to follow students in the upper middle school grades in

addition to students in kindergarten through grade six. In order to

accomplish this, the Secretary believes that the most beneficial

approach would be to support two institutes instead of one. One

institute would focus on curricular and instructional classroom based

interventions that accelerate subject matter learning for children with

disabilities in kindergarten through grade three, and the second

institute would focus on grades four through eight.

Changes: The title and priority has been revised to establish two

research institutes to study curricular and instructional classroom

based interventions that accelerate subject matter learning for

children with disabilities and promote its sustained use by

practitioners. One institute would study curricular and instructional

classroom based interventions in kindergarten through grade three. The

other institute would study curricular and instructional classroom

based interventions in grades four through grade eight.

Priority

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an absolute

preference to

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applications that meet the following priority. The Secretary will fund

under this competition only applications that meet this absolute

priority:

Absolute Priority--Research Institutes to Accelerate Learning for

Children With Disabilities With Curricular and Instructional

Interventions: Kindergarten Through Grade Three and Grade Four Through

Grade Eight

Background

The consequences of failing to learn are serious. Lack of learning

in one domain reduces an individual's capacity to benefit from

educational experience. Failure establishes a self-perpetuating cycle

and negatively affects the individual's disposition toward lifelong

learning, employment, and contribution to society. Most children with

disabilities face challenges to learning. These challenges are

amplified as calls are made for higher standards to be achieved by all

students, including children with disabilities, and as more children

with disabilities are educated in general education classrooms.

Evidence from the National Longitudinal Transition Study indicates

children with disabilities are not learning subject matter content. An

urgency exists to develop powerful curricular and instructional

interventions that maximize rates of development, promote generalized

learning, and reduce discrepancies between their performance and that

of their peers.

Intervention research has demonstrated that children with

disabilities possess the potential to learn, participate, and

contribute in school, home, community, and work place. Research on

instructional interventions for children with disabilities has been the

hallmark of special education research. For example, research on direct

instruction, behavioral management interventions, learning strategies,

peer mediated learning, and reciprocal teaching has led to improvements

in professional practice.

Yet, single solution interventions are insufficient for teaching

children with disabilities complex subject matter content. In many

instances, these interventions are content free. Moreover, little

empirical evidence is available on the context of the classroom for

supporting the implementation of these solutions.

Priority

The Secretary establishes an absolute priority for the purpose of

establishing two research institutes to study curricular and

instructional classroom based interventions that accelerate subject

matter learning for children with disabilities and promote its

sustained use by practitioners. One institute will be established to

study curricular and instructional classroom based interventions that

accelerate subject matter learning in kindergarten through grade three.

Another institute will be established to study curricular and

instructional classroom based interventions that accelerate subject

matter learning in grade four through grade eight.

Both institutes must examine--

(1) The effectiveness of the intervention for children with

disabilities; and

(2) The classroom context that supports the implementation of the

interventions that produce and sustain positive learning outcomes for

children with disabilities, including such factors as classroom groups;

classroom and cross-classroom management strategies; curriculum design

principles; classroom settings; instructional materials; amount of time

on task; integration into the curriculum; and teacher actions, skills,

and attitudes.

The research may include, but need not be limited to, studying

classroom based exemplars and models, designing and implementing

interventions, and collecting student and teacher data from exemplars,

using a rich array of research methods to reach the intended goals of

this priority and as articulated by the proposed research hypotheses.

Both the Kindergarten through Grade Three Research Institute, and

the Grade Four through Grade Eight Research Institute must--

(a) Design and conduct a strategic program of research that focuses

on helping students with disabilities learn subject matter content in

critical areas such as reading and math, and builds upon the existing

research knowledge for teaching children with disabilities;

(b) Design and conduct a strategic program of research across

multiple sites to represent organizational and demographic diversity;

(c) Collect, analyze, and communicate student outcome data and

supporting context data, and multiple outcome data for teachers,

parents, and administrators, as appropriate;

(d) Collaborate with other research institutes supported under the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and experts and researchers

in related subject matter and methodological fields, as appropriate for

the program of research, to design and conduct the strategic program of

research;

(e) Collaborate with communication specialists and professional and

advocacy organizations to ensure that findings are prepared in formats

that are useable for specific audiences such as teachers,

administrators, and other service providers;

(f) Develop linkages with Education Department technical assistance

providers to communicate research findings and distribute products;

(g) Provide training and research opportunities for a limited

number of graduate students including students who are from

traditionally underrepresented groups; and

(h) Meet with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

project officer in the first four months of the project to review the

program of research and communication approaches.

The project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C.

for: (1) A two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another

meeting to meet and collaborate with the OSEP project officer.

Under this priority, The Secretary will make two awards:

(a) One award for a Research Institute to Accelerate Learning for

Children with Disabilities with Curricular and Instructional

Interventions in Kindergarten through Grade Three; and

(b) One award for a Research Institute to Accelerate Learning for

Children with Disabilities with Curricular and Instructional

Interventions in Grade Four through Grade Eight.

Both awards will be for cooperative agreements with project periods

of up to 60 months subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for

continuation awards. In determining whether to continue the institutes

for the fourth and fifth years of the project periods, the Secretary,

in addition to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), will consider--

(1) The recommendation of a review team for each institute

consisting of three experts selected by the Secretary. The services of

the review teams, including a two-day site visit to the institutes are

to be performed during the last half of each institute's second year

and may be included in that year's evaluation required under 34 CFR

75.590. Costs associated with the services to be performed by the

review teams must also be included in each institute's budget for year

two. These costs are estimated to be approximately $4,000 for each

institute;

(2) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of

the negotiated cooperative agreement have

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been or are being met by each institute; and

(3) The degree to which each institute's research designs and

methodologies demonstrate the potential for advancing significant new

knowledge.

Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR Part 324.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1441-1443.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.023, Research in

Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program)

Dated: April 8, 1997.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 97-9401 Filed 4-10-97; 8:45 am]

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